Alone
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: A new criminal in the city is kidnapping State Alchemists and brutally removing their limbs, but Ed doesn't take it seriously until he, too, disappears. Will he survive long enough to be found? Or will it be too late by the time he's rescued? (Listen to the first chapter now on FanRamen's fanfiction podcast!)
1. Ignorant

**Chapter One: Ignorant**

"I don't think you're taking this seriously, Fullmetal." Colonel Roy Mustang pressed his hands down against his desk, not breaking eye contact with the moody teen in front of him. "This man is taking and torturing State Alchemists. It's no laughing matter."

Ed made an exaggerated motion of rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, thanks. I get it. But I'll be fine."

"We call him The Slicer. You want to know why?" Mustang didn't wait for Ed to answer. "He takes off parts of their bodies, Ed. Their limbs." His somber expression deepened. "Picking up your girlfriend from the train station right now isn't the wisest idea. I could send Lieutenant Hawkeye inste-"

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND AND SHE NEVER HAS BEEN! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, YOU GIRLFRIENDLESS BASTARD!"

"Brother, calm down," Al chided from beside him. "Just listen to what Colonel Mustang has to say. This guy does sound pretty dangerous and I don't think you should go alone."

"I don't care what he thinks!" Ed said vehemently, giving Mustang a black look as he leaned back into his chair sulkily. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"You're still a kid."

"I'M NOT A KID, AND I DON'T HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY, YOU SPINELESS-"

"Alright." Mustang pulled up his hands in surrender. "I get it, Fullmetal. But you should still take Al, at least."

A long minute passed where nothing was said. Finally, Ed leaned forward and nodded grudgingly.

"Fine."

"Good. Now, you're free to go. Just… stay sharp out there, Ed." Mustang pursed his lips. "Can't risk losing any more men than we already have."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Ed replied, but it was clear he was only half listening by now. He pushed himself up from his seat, suddenly filled with a new energy. "C'mon, Al. Let's go meet Winry before her train arrives."

"I hope we're not late," Al added, standing up after Ed. "I know I don't have a body anymore, but I can still almost imagine the pain when she hits me with her wrench."

"You're telling me," Ed groaned, rubbing the back of his head as if it was still throbbing as he opened the door. "I wouldn't be surprised if she gave me a concussion the last time we met up with her."

"Agreed, brother. Agreed."

* * *

"Al, you can go up ahead, I'll be right there. I just want to finish getting these apples for Winry before we meet her, but I don't want to slow you down. Maybe she'll make me one of her pies later."

Al turned his head to look over his shoulder, now concerned as he cocked his head. "Are you sure that's a good decision, Ed? You know what Colonel Mustang told you. You shouldn't go off alone…"

"Al, I'll be just fine, just go already," Ed retorted, with an additional roll of his eyes. "You worry too much."

Al shuffled on his feet uncomfortably before he finally shrugged his shoulders. "Alright. But just be quick, okay? Winry will kill us both if you're late."

"Don't remind me. But don't worry, I'll be there."

"And you're sure you'll be fine?"

"Al…"

"There _is_ a criminal kidnapping and torturing State Alchemists right now, you know!"

"Well, I only have one more arm to lose, and I really don't think he'd want it." Ed stared at Al. "Come on, go already! At least Winry will have one of us on time."

Reminding himself of Winry's angry wrench-throwing, Al's body shuddered. In seconds, he had turned around and ran off, his metal body clanking noisily and earning himself a few stares. Seconds later, Ed was alone.

It didn't really bother him that he hadn't brought any weapons, even though he could be attacked at any moment. It was midday, he was surrounded by people, and on top of that, he was Edward Elric, the famed Fullmetal Alchemist. According to the world, he could take on anything.

But still, the fact lingered in his mind that several other powerful State Alchemists had been attacked and tortured before him. Some had died. And those Alchemists were older and much more experienced than he was.

"Oh, shut up," Ed muttered to himself. It wasn't like he could do anything about it anyways.

Paying for the rest of the apples he'd gathered, he was on his way.

As he walked, an almost dark presence settled over him. It reminded him of a bad omen, or perhaps a premonition of sorts. Suddenly, he wished Al had stayed behind with him, but he quickly shook the thought away.

 _I can defend myself just fine,_ he said to himself. _I don't need a ten-foot piece of armor to protect me._

He had hardly taken another step before someone grabbed and pulled him into a nearby alleyway. Widely caught off guard, Ed could only let himself be dragged painfully forward before being slammed against the brick wall. Wincing as his head collided with the stone, Ed was briefly blinded from seeing his attacker.

"So you're the famous Fullmetal Alchemist, huh?" a man's voice suddenly asked him.

Ed gritted his teeth together, peering up and trying to see the man's face from under his mask. "Who wants to know? Are you that guy who's been taking other State Alchemists?"

The other man laughed- a cool, malicious sound. "You'll find out soon enough."

"And you'll find out right now that I'm not going anywhere with the likes of a bastard like you!"

Clapping his hands together and taking a moment to concentrate, Ed prepared to let loose his

alchemy to assist him in getting away. But barely another moment passed before something was smashed down over his head and the world began to spin around him. Through the blurry red haze, Ed caught a glimpse of a yellow smile and a large metal rod above him.

"Can't have you using that handy alchemy of yours, now can we?"

"No," Ed whispered, but suddenly his mouth was filled with a sticky syrup and it became hard to speak. "I-I... can't."

"Sweet dreams, Alchemist!"

The world faded into a bleak black color and Ed felt his legs buckling underneath him. After that, the only thing he sensed was quiet, fear, and pain.

* * *

"Sir! There's been a possible sighting of Slicer south of here! There was a cloaked figure reported having suspicious activity near a fruit market. Should I alert the other alchemists, sir?"

Alarmed, Mustang looked up from his paperwork, eyes sharpening as the wheels in his mind began to turn. "Yes, immediately. But before that, I want you to send Major Armstrong to check on the Elrics. With luck, they should still be at the train station."

The soldier saluted. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"

As the man rushed off to carry out his orders, Mustang drummed his fingers against his desk, every one of his senses now spiked in alarm.

"Dang it, Fullmetal," he cursed and turned his head to glance out his open window. "You better have not gotten yourself in trouble again."

* * *

"What do you mean, 'he's coming'? Why isn't Ed here yet? What's going on?" Winry demanded, putting a fidgeting hand on her hip as she waited beside Al. "He promised he'd be here."

"He'll be here soon, Winry," Al assured her, though he didn't know whether he was saying it to convince himself or her. "He was just doing an… errand."

Winry shook her head. "And he couldn't have done it _before_ my train arrived?"

Al shrugged. "It was a, uh, spur of the moment kind of thing."

For the few minutes after that, there was only silence between the two, undisturbed in their swirling thoughts.

By now, Al was feeling more than nervous for his brother. He was flat-out _terrified_ that Ed had been taken. The only reason he would be late to go see Winry was if he'd been faced with a more important task, or had been attacked and dragged off to God-knew-where, helpless and never to be found again.

All because Al hadn't taken the time to stay behind with his own brother.

"Winry, something's wrong. We have to go," Al suddenly said, tone urgent, and tugged at the girl's arm as he began to guide them through the bustling train station.

"Wait, what? What's going on? Al…!"

"I'll tell you on the way!"

Al didn't take the time to slow down as he pushed them through the crowds of people, unfazed by their gawking stares at such a large suit of armor parading around.

He was only focused on one thing. The most important thing: finding his brother.

He didn't care if Ed turned out to be fine and called Al out for being irrational. He didn't care if he was jumping to conclusions too quickly.

The only thing he cared about was his brother who, right now, he feared, was too late to save.

* * *

 **Hello! Yeah, first story in the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom, but hey, there's a first time for everything right? Anyways, I hope it was as good as it should be, and that you enjoyed!**

 **Please leave a review if you can! :) Happy reading!**

 **~thepurplewriter333**

* * *

 **EDIT: AMAZING NEWS, GUYS. Listen to this first chapter on fanramnen's amazing fanfiction podcast right now! You can visit them at fan ramen DOT com, YouTube (FanRamen Noodles), the podcast app, and Soundcloud! If you have a fic to suggest (yours or someone else's, so long as they've given their consent), submit it to their website now. THEY ARE FREAKING AMAZING.**

 **Listen to "Alone" at:** **https (colon) / / www . fan ramen DOT com / podcast / episode / c14952eb / menu(dash)1(dash)supernatural(dash)fma(dash)dr(dash)who. (Delete the spaces and replace ()'s and type the "DOT" with the correct symbol. FanFiction won't let me post links)**

 **OR listen to it on YouTube at: https (colon) / / www DOT youtube DOT com / watch? v = 7iFQgqFzcqE**

 **OKAY BUT SERIOUSLY. They are amazing with their voice acting, sound effects and music, and deserve every fanfic author's praise. VISIT THEM NOW AND SUBMIT YOUR FANFICS IF YOU WANT!**


	2. Critical

**Chapter Two: Critical**

The first one of Ed's senses to return was his hearing.

But as soon as it returned and he heard what was going on around him, he wished he hadn't gotten it back in the first place.

A terrible, almost painful to listen to, grinding noise was eating up the room he was tied up in. Based on the dusty smell and creaking floorboards below his chair, he was being kept in an old building or maybe a basement. Whichever one, it still didn't explain the grinding noise that pierced the air.

As his other senses returned, it soon became clear that he couldn't keep his eyes closed any longer as his mind itched to see what was going on around him. Peeking open his eyelids and blinking as his pupils adjusted to the surrounding light, it took a moment before he could see.

And then suddenly, he saw what was causing that awful noise.

A large - too large - blade sharpening machine was set up in the corner, shining in the light from the room and almost showing off the knives that glistened beside it. What made him nearly gag, although, was the severed arms covering the table. He counted nearly ten. Looking away in disgust, he directed his attention to who was using the machine at that moment. The Slicer, Ed guessed.

He was just about to get started on wiggling free from the ropes that tied him to the chair when he realized that his metal arm was missing. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed before, but now that he had, the almost naked sensation made him feel so much more useless. Without his arm, he couldn't fight _or_ perform alchemy.

He cursed softly. This day kept getting better and better.

Rubbing his one good hand against the rope in an attempt for it to fray, he leaned forward to get in a better position when suddenly he was overtaken by a wave of nausea, head spiking in pain. Eyes slamming close, he willed himself not to throw up.

 _Breathe, Ed. You can do this. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, you can handle a little headache._

"Awake, now are you?"

Ed's head snapped up in alert, and his eyes widened when he realized Slicer was walking towards him, his eyes hidden beneath his cloak as he stroked a newly sharpened knife.

"Good. I was starting to get tired of waiting for you."

Ed scowled, blowing a tuft of blonde hair out of his eyes as he looked up at the other man. "Why did you take me?"

"Hmm?"

"Why take the risk of capturing me, the Fullmetal Alchemist?" His eyes narrowed. "And what about those other alchemists? What did they ever do to you?"

"What did they do to me? Hmm, nothing, I suppose." Slicer smiled. "I have my own agenda, you see."

"And what would that be?" Ed snapped. "Who are you really? What do you want?"

Grinning even larger now, Slicer finally pushed back the cloak that hung in his eyes.

Ed gasped.

"Wait. You're an- you're an Ishvalan?"

Slicer, letting out a laugh, nodded. "Surprised, Alchemist?"

"I guess you could say that. I've only met one other Ishvalan in my life before..." Ed gritted his teeth together, fighting back the painful memory. "And he tried to kill me!"

"It wasn't _Scar_ , was it?"

Taken by surprise, Ed leaned back in his chair and hesitantly nodded. "Yeah. Lucky guess."

"It wasn't a guess. Actually, I happen to be a big fan of Scar, although I've never gotten the chance to meet him in person. He's the one who started me on this path, you know. I've heard his alchemy is quite amazing." Slicer smiled when Ed's glare deepened, as if he knew he'd hit a weak spot. "Maybe even better than yours, Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You shut up!" Ed yelled, thrashing against his bonds. "You don't know anything!"

"Though I'm not surprised," Slicer continued. "Considering just how short you are."

There was a moment of silence as Ed's face turned a bright red.

Slicer had gone too far.

"WHO YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE DOESN'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT BEING STEPPED ON BECAUSE HE COULD FIT IN BETWEEN THE HOLES ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SHOE ANYWAY?!"

Taking another glance at the panting Ed, Slicer shook his head. "Quite the temper you have there, Alchemist. Bet it gets you into more trouble than you can handle from time to time… still, you are quite the accomplished alchemist. Tell me, is what they all say true? You can use alchemy without a transmutation circle? That _is_ impressive. So," he crouched on his knees, meeting Ed's eye level, "how exactly do you do it?"

Ed clenched his jaw shut. He wasn't about to tell this lunatic anything.

"Come on now, don't hold anything back."

After a minute of stressful silence and Ed saying nothing, Slicer's eyes filled with anger and he raised the blade in his hand. "You think you're so brave? You think you're being a hero? Well, Fullmetal Alchemist, you're not. All I'm looking for is some information and you don't even have the decency to share."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like how you've been so decent to me so far."

"Exactly."

Slicer waited another minute before speaking. "I'm getting impatient with you, Alchemist. And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Still, Ed refused to say anything, though he was starting to doubt his ability to hold out forever. But, no. He was the Fullmetal Alchemist. He didn't give in that easily- and certainly not to someone like this.

"Eat me," he spat, now wishing that his legs weren't tied to his chair so he could kick the other man.

Slicer's thin lips curled up into a malicious smile. "Oh, I'm going to do a lot worse than that, Alchemist. Believe me... I will."

Tightening his grip on the handle of the blade, he moved in.

* * *

"Alphonse Elric! Yes, you in the large metal suit over there! Where would be your older brother, Edward? Colonel Mustang must speak with him at once!"

Startled by the voice, Al looked up from talking with Winry and changed his attention to the large, muscular man who stood ten yards away. He cocked his head.

"Major Armstrong?" he called out, sounding more confused than surprised at the man's appearance.

"Indeed it is! Now, where is your older brother, Edward? The criminal Slicer was just spotted somewhere around this vicinity and Colonel Mustang wanted to make sure you boys were safe. Now, where did you say he was?"

Al watched as the large man squeezed his way forward through the thick lines of people before choosing to speak. "Major Armstrong, my brother's not exactly… here." His tone turned nervous. "He was just picking up some apples for Winry and told me to go on ahead, but…" Al wrung his metal hands together, in obvious distress. "I shouldn't have left him alone! What if something's happened to him?"

"Wait. You mean that guy Ed was telling me about over the phone is still on the loose?" Winry asked, blood from her face draining. "I thought the police would have caught him by now. Oh no, I never should've asked Ed to meet me at the train station... now it's _my_ fault that he's missing, and it's my fault he's-"

"Winry, please don't blame yourself," Al interrupted, coming to Winry's aid. "You didn't know this was going to happen. None of us did."

Armstrong, who looked to be in near tears at hearing Ed's predicament, clenched a wavering fist tightly at his chest. "How tragic! We must find Edward Elric immediately, then, before it gets too late. That poor child."

"Don't let Fullmetal hear you saying something like that, Major," a flat voice said from behind them. "He still doesn't seem to approve of the fact that he's still a child."

Everyone swerved around.

Colonel Mustang was standing there with his arms crossed and a frown etched into his features. "If we can't find Fullmetal in town, I suggest we search all the empty buildings and alleyways after that. It's imperative that we find him _immediately_." Grimacing at his urgent tone, he corrected himself. "At least, before Fullmetal sasses the enemy to death. I want to take a swing at the bastard myself before he goes on death row."

Without another word, he began to walk away, barely acknowledging the group's confused expressions as he passed.

"Major Armstrong, why is the colonel so worried about this already?" Al asked. "Ed's only been missing for an hour, and Mustang usually doesn't get involved with things like this."

Armstrong crossed his muscled arms, shaking his head sadly. "Because, Alphonse Elric, each time a State Alchemist has gone missing, he's found within twelve hours…" The tension around them seemed to spike. "...missing both of their arms, or already dead from blood loss and shock before they're recovered."

Al and Winry gasped.

"I'd heard a little about him, but nothing like that," Al said. "Where were the other victims found? Will it help us find my brother?"

"I don't know the answer to that, Alphonse, but I do know that's why the colonel believes its so crucial we find Edward immediately," the Major explained. He then shook his head, almost looking like he wanted to say more before he turned away, following after Mustang in search of Ed.

Al and Winry exchanged worried glances, both thinking the same thing.

If this "Slicer" removed the arms of his victims and some died just from the _shock_ of it, that didn't mean good news for Ed.

Because, as they both knew, the Fullmetal Alchemist didn't have many more limbs to spare.

* * *

 **I hoped you liked this chapter, and thanks so much for reading! Also, I realize that this might not be 100% accurate at times because I literally only started to watch Fullmetal Alchemist a month ago, XD, and so far I've only finished Brotherhood and just started the 2003 version.** **So if I did get something off, please be sure to let me know. But also remember not to be rude about it! :)**

 **And for any questions about my updating schedule, I'll be posting a new chapter about every other day. I think the story will be about 7-8 chapters, but I'll honestly have to see once I finish typing it up from my notebook. :)**

 **Thank you for reviewing: katurdi, animalsarepeopletoo, DarkFlameFantasy, Guest, Lord Jaric, and The Wizard Rider!**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


	3. Truth

**Chapter Three: Truth**

"Aaaaahhh!"

Blood gushed from the new wound on Ed's shoulder, drenching his red sleeve and staining the rest of his arm on the way down.

"Ready to talk yet, Alchemist?"

Ed gritted his teeth through the pain, just about ready to spit out a curse ugly enough to make his mother curl in her grave. He laughed instead, shaking his head. "Is that all you got? You know, my mechanic hurts me a lot more- and that's just with her wrench."

Eye twitching, Slicer pulled the knife back, letting the blood that soaked it drip to the floor. "I tried to be nice, Alchemist. Just like I was to all the others." A crazed glint filled his eyes. "But they all made the same mistake, the one that you're making right now. And they _all_ suffered _greatly_ for it."

He grabbed Ed by the chin, yanking his head up. "I'm giving you one last chance, Alchemist. And now you better ta-"

Ed interrupted Slicer to spit in his face. As the other man recoiled, Ed snapped his head back triumphantly. "There's nothing you can do to me to make me talk, mister," he argued. "So you might as well give it up already. Release me, and you might land a life sentence instead of death row."

Slicer shook his head, looking merely annoyed rather than threatened. "You don't understand, do you? I don't _need_ your information. I have other ways to get what I want. More brutal, messy ways... but they'll do the job."

Ed was annoyed to find himself feeling rather anxious about this. He scowled. "Oh, yeah? Like what? What exactly are you after, Slicer? You know I'm not going to talk - and the information I have wouldn't help anyway - so why keep playing this game?"

Slicer's red eyes gleamed in the dim light of the room as he stared at Ed. "Alchemy. I'm after its secrets, its rewards... its power. With alchemy, I'd be able to take over the country. Maybe even the world." He let out a low chuckle.

Ed raised an eyebrow and snorted. "With dozens of other State Alchemists and the military to fight against you? I don't think so."

"You see, that's where you're thinking wrong. I'm not just after information on how to use alchemy, like how every other State Alchemist starts out." He smiled. "I'm after experience."

Ed paused. "What?"

"Yes, Fullmetal Alchemist. Ever wonder why I remove the limbs of my prey? Why I only target the best Stats Alchemists around? Earlier you asked why I risked taking you. Now you know." He took a moment before continuing. "Do you wonder why I have these?"

He pulled back the sleeves of his black cloak, revealing two shiny metal arms instead of actual skin. He wore gloves like Ed which made it hard to notice, but without the fabric covering it was more than clear. "I've tried to connect other's arms to my own, hoping that they would give me the experience I required. So far, none of them have been completely successful. Some are better than others, while some… don't work at all. But you, Fullmetal Alchemist- you just might be the one."

"That's crazy!" Ed yelled. "You can't learn alchemy from taking people's _arms._ That's-"

"Impossible? It may seem so, but has anyone ever _tried_ it?" Slicer drummed his metal fingers together. "Word on the street says you can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. You're one of the many, many few I've ever heard of with such skill. And after learning that your dear friend Scar can do his alchemy the same way, I decided I needed to try too."

"You're sick. You have no idea what you're doing. My alchemy doesn't come from my arms or-or something like Scar's tattoo."

"You're lying!" Slicer glared at him, hands balling up into fists at his sides. "And I don't like liars."

Ed suddenly found his chin being yanked forward by the deranged man.

"But I'll fix that soon… I know exactly how. I already have one of your arms over here, but I still need to cut the other one off."

"And what then? You can't just… reattach someone else's arm to your own!"

"With alchemy, I certainly can." At Ed's confused expression, he nodded. "Just because I'm not a State Alchemist doesn't mean I can't perform alchemy, you know. I'm not stupid."

"Could've fooled me."

Slicer shot Ed a warning glare. "I'd keep a hold on that tongue of yours, boy. You wouldn't want me to have to cut it off, would you?" He raised the knife he was holding, pressing it close to Ed's chin.

Ed bared his teeth. "You're not going to win, you bastard."

"Won't I?" Slicer pressed the blade against Ed's throat, and Ed could feel the slice of skin as a trickle of blood streamed down his neck. Just when Ed thought his very breathing would be cut off completely, Slicer pulled away, panting. "No. I can't kill you. Not yet. I need your other arm first, and without you, it'll die."

Ed shook his head. "It's not going to work either way. You're crazy!"

Slicer slashed the blade across Ed's arm, and Ed couldn't help the whimper that came out as blood poured out of the open wound.

"One more word out of you and I cut even deeper. Understood?"

Ed said nothing.

"Good. You're learning. And now… time to sharpen my blade- the one that I use to cut off _all_ my limbs." He let out a maniacal laugh. "It's all coming together so quickly, I can hardly wait."

Ed scowled, hating this other man with a passion, and thought hard about how he could get out of his bonds before it was too late. Because if he didn't, he was going to have _three_ missing limbs instead of two.

And he wasn't sure if he was ready to survive that.

* * *

"We've checked all over the city and there's still no sign of him," Al confirmed, and Mustang looked ready to curse from where he stood beside him.

"Where could he have wandered off to now?" the colonel muttered as he started to pace. He wasn't proud to say it, but this whole thing was making him nervous. State Alchemists going missing, coming back with their arms cut off and often found dead if they weren't dying already.

And now, Fullmetal himself was missing. As much as Mustang hated to admit it, the kid was still, well, a kid. A regular, run-of-the-mill, ordinary kid. A prodigy, yes, but that didn't erase the fact that he was only fifteen years old. This shouldn't have happened.

"Colonel?"

Mustang looked down, and he saw the blonde girl Ed was always talking about. _Winry_ , he recalled the name. He wrinkled his nose. "What?" He knew he sounded rude and rather annoyed, but by now, he was past caring.

Winry frowned back at him, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't understand. Why aren't we looking for Ed? We're wasting a lot of time just standing around here and doing nothing."

Mustang raised his brow as he tapped his fingers together. "Is that what you call it? Doing nothing?"

"Yes!"

"Are you aware of what the Slicer does to his victims?"

"He takes off their limbs, yes. Which is why we-"

"Not just that." Mustang let a moment pass for effect. "Before he removes them, he'll start with the torture. Knife marks have been found over every body recovered. And they've all clearly lost an incredible amount of blood before Slicer's done with them."

Looking at Winry's expression, it was clear the girl was sickened by the process. "What does this have to do with Ed?"

"We've never been this close to Slicer before. We've never even gotten a good look at him, with him being so careful at hiding." Mustang shook his head. "We need time to regroup- to plan. If we don't, Fullmetal's life could be lost with the slightest mistake."

Winry's face was ashen, and she was just opening her mouth to speak again when suddenly Al said behind them, "Guys?"

Both Winry and Mustang whirled around to face the ten-foot-fall piece of armor.

Al gestured to Major Armstrong, who had just returned from a nearby phone booth. "I think Major Armstrong just got a lead on Ed."

Eyes widening, Winry swerved around, blonde ponytail bouncing as she turned to face the large man. "What is it? Is Ed alright?" Her blue eyes shone with worry. "Is he alive?"

Armstrong held up a hand to pause her flurry of questions before speaking. "A little over two hours ago, somebody spotted a small boy in a red jacket being dragged into a vacant building. Apparently, they called the police immediately afterward but another robbery in town meant they were too busy to investigate."

"Where's the building?" Al demanded. "Where's my brother?"

"Colonel Mustang, you're not going to like this, but…" Armstrong paused. "The building's right next to your place in Central. The bastard's been hiding under our noses all along."

Mustang barely blinked as he absorbed the new information. He turned around, but eyed the others when they didn't move. "Then what are we waiting for, Major? Let's go."

The others didn't hesitate to follow as the colonel marched away. Because, as they all knew, there wasn't much more time to spare.

* * *

 **So many apologies for not updating earlier! I've been stuck in writing camp for the past two weeks and rock camp the week before that, so I've been a little busy. :) About to leave for out of town tomorrow, too, so I just wanted to get this out there before I left!**

 **Special thanks to reviewers: katurdi, animalsarepeopletoo, alightintheshadows, lonesome pine tree, and laceefun!**

 **Happy reading!**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


	4. Now

**Chapter Four: Now**

"It's just about time now, Fullmetal Alchemist. Are you ready?"

Ed gritted his teeth together, looking away. He could barely fight back the urge to continue his arguing against Slicer. But then again, he didn't want his tongue to be cut out, either. This was a test to keep him quiet, he realized, but it wouldn't last much longer. He would take action once he had a plan.

Problem was, he was having trouble thinking _up_ of a plan.

"Oh, stop pouting, Fullmetal. You know this is for the greater good."

Ed rolled his eyes. This man was obviously sick, thinking that cutting off Ed's arm would make him suddenly acquire all his alchemy. It was the knowledge _inside_ Ed that made it work. True, he honestly didn't know if it would somehow help speed up Slicer's alchemic process, but either way, he was done worrying over it. He needed to escape.

Ed once again reminded himself that he still did not have a plan.

He was missing an arm, the other was tied behind his back, and his legs were roped to the chair he was tied up in. He was pushed back in the corner of the room and the door was about as far away as it could be. Slicer was almost done sharpening his knife which, in Ed's honest opinion, looked more like a saw than a blade. And now here he was, about to lose the only arm he had left in just a few short minutes.

He didn't have time for a complete plan. He needed to act now.

Thinking fast, Ed leaned back in his chair. He was going to try his specialty- making Slicer angry. "Hey!" he shouted, and Slicer looked up from the knife he was busy sharpening.

He scowled. "What did I say about talking, boy? Did you forget what I promised to do?"

"No, I didn't," Ed said in a rather uninterested tone. "But I couldn't help but notice that you're pretty short… for an Ishvalan. I've heard they're bred pretty big, but you- you're just a letdown. Scar was a lot taller than you, I remember. I even bet he's a much better fighter than you are, seeing as how pathetic you look"

A shadow crossed Slicer's face. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, you overgrown midget. You're probably terrible at fighting. You _did_ attack me from behind, right? Which means you're too scared to face me yourself." Ed grinned. "I knew it. You're a plain coward."

Slicer glowered at him, setting down his knife on the table before picking up a smaller one. "Don't be judging me so quickly, alchemist. You should remind yourself who's captured who."

 _This was working. Keep him angry so he'll want to fight you- which means he'll have to release you._

"Oh, that's right," Ed said sarcastically, nodding. "You've captured me, got your first big win, and you're excited. I get it. But that doesn't mean anything. Not really." His smile turned into a glare. "Because I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. It's going to take a lot more than this to kill me."

Slicer's grip tightened on his blade. "You little-"

"LITTLE? WHO YOU CALLING SO SMALL IT WOULDN'T MATTER IF YOU KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE'S TOO INSIGNIFICANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

By now, Slicer wasn't listening. He re-adjusted his handle on his knife and lunged forward at Ed, the blade slicing his right cheek. Wincing as blood began to flow, Ed glared but didn't cry out.

"Is that all you got, old man? Or are you not even trying?"

"I warned you, Alchemist. And now-" Slicer's eyes gleamed almost hungrily- for blood. "-now you're going to pay. You see, I don't need you anymore. You're the host of your arm, sure, but it'll still be healthy by the time I attach it to my own arm."

Taking one last glance at the bleeding boy in front of him, Slicer smiled.

And then he sunk his knife into Ed's chest.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Mustang asked, facing the group as they huddled outside the doorway of the building Ed was believed to be held in. "We only have one shot at this. If we want to bring Fullmetal back alive, we can't mess it up." He gave the group a hard look. "Understood? Nobody try and play hero. Our mission is to rescue Fullmetal and rescue him only. The only other thing I'll be doing is taking Slicer into custody."

"Do you think brother's alright?" Al inquired, looking to Mustang in hope for some reassurance.

Mustang paused, looking down at the pavement before he chose to speak. "Like I said, our mission is to rescue him. That's all. Now let's move in."

"Colonel?" Winry asked, the color draining from her face.

"I said to move in already. Let's go."

"And rescue Edward Elric we shall!" Armstrong proclaimed, and in a flash of speed and agility he kicked out and smashed the door open. "EDWARD ELRIC, WE ARE HERE TO RESCUE YOU!" he boomed, leaping through the doorway and into the building, flexing his bulging muscles on the way.

Behind him, Mustang winced and followed the Major instead.

" _Quietly,"_ he snapped.

He turned back to look at Al and Winry. "Move in! Fullmetal's in here somewhere and we need to find him - now!"

As they all rushed inside, it soon became clear that this part of the building was abandoned. Empty boxes and dust particles were scattered everywhere. But looking around, Mustang realized that there was a lower floor, after seeing the stairway peeking at him through a half-closed door on the other side of the room.

Mustang pointed to it, nodding to the others. "There."

"Brother!" Al called as he raced over, quickly reaching the staircase that led down to the bottom floor. "Brother, are you down here?"

"Al, stop yelling!" Mustang said, but by then Al was too focused on listening for an answer that could come from below.

For a long moment, there was nothing. The tension in the air grew so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

But then, they all got their answer.

And their answer was in the form of a loud scream.

Ed's scream.

"Brother!" Al gasped, and in a split second he was rushing down the staircase, metal limbs clanking loudly. Mustang found himself rather surprised at the speed such a large suit of armor could manage.

"Dang it, Alphonse, wait for us!" he yelled, and motioned for Winry and Armstrong to follow him before he began to follow Al down the stairs as well.

It didn't take long to get to the bottom of the staircase, but to the group it felt like a lifetime. Each step was a mile, every second an hour. Ed's scream had died out shortly after they'd heard it the first place, and that could only mean one of three things.

One: The pain had stopped. Two: He'd passed out from the pain.

And three… three...

...he was already dead.

Mustang refused the dark thought to fully enter his mind. Fullmetal wasn't dead - nothing could kill him _that_ easily. In fact, if anyone was going to end up killing Fullmetal, it would be him.

Finally, the panicked group reached the bottom of the stairway and found that it led to another exit door. It was already propped open, and Mustang guessed that this "Slicer" wasn't much worried about being found out. He wasn't sure whether he should be unsettled or relieved by that.

"Fullmetal!" he yelled, pushing open the door and charging inside as a fresh anger burned inside of him.

As the rest of the group rushed in, time seemed to stop. Everything had frozen in place, whether it was because of their shock or the fact that their feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

There was so much blood. It was everywhere, it seemed, like a sticky red syrup that formed a puddle on the dusty ground. And in the center of it all was a small blonde boy, his form hunched over as he bent over chair in the chair he was tied up in. A knife quivered in his upper left chest - clearly the source of the blood flow. His head was lowered against the pain that filled him, but somehow he managed to lift his head back up as the group raced in.

"...A-Alphonse...?"

But as soon as that, he was out, going limp in moments as his head collapsed and hung over his chest.

Now this… _this_ was the thing that angered Mustang the most. Who would go so far as to torture a _child_ like this? Whoever this Slicer was, he had to be a monster to do this kind of thing.

Head snapping back up to face the man responsible for Ed's injury, he found his culprit.

What would happen next… whether he would keep his promise to only take Slicer into custody… he'd have to decide that for himself.

* * *

 **ON THAT RATHER CLIFFHANGERISH NOTE, I finally finished FMA 2003 and got to watch** _ **Conqueror of Shamballa!**_ **EEEEEEEEEEKK! Except… now, there's no more of FMA for me to watch. *weeps into hands* I am now a show-hole. :(**

 **BUT - I hope y'all enjoyed this anyway AND PLEASE REVIEW TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! :D Thanks for reading!**

 **Special thanks to last chapter's reviewers: little-anonymous-me, katurdi, lonesome pine tree, CHEESEPUFF fg, and alightintheshadows!**

 **Happy reading!**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


	5. Pain

**I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER. I kind of gave myself a concussion (whoopsie) and then I had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on, and THEN it was just my birthday and we had to the beach for Labor Day... but I am BACK now, and I'm ready to jump back into writing! Thanks so much for your patience! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Pain**

Mustang's fists clenched in rage, and he took an angry step forward. "What did you do to him?" he demanded, pointing to where Ed sat unconscious and bleeding in his chair. The teen's breathing was getting more ragged by the minute, and Mustang was getting worried about how much time he had left. " _What did you do to him?"_

"Nothing much," said Slicer carelessly. "Just gave him a lesson in manners."

"You bastard." Mustang's eyes filled with fury. "You sick bastard."

And then something sparked his attention.

Slicer's red eyes, tanned skin, silver hair - why hadn't he noticed it before? This was an Ishvalan he was talking to!

The lines on Mustang's forehead deepened. "Now, what would you, an _Ishvalan_ , want with all these State Alchemists? With _Fullmetal?"_

Slicer grinned. "Hmm. Am I under the order of King Bradley to answer you? Do I get to keep my silence? Who knows these days?"

Mustang gritted his teeth and his lips curled back in anger. "Come peacefully and we won't have to hurt you. Otherwise, you'll be executed right here and now for choosing to fight back!"

Instead of answering him, Slicer turned his attention back to Ed, pointing at the bloody boy. "Your alchemist isn't looking too good over there. Maybe it's the knife I stuck in his chest. Or was it the torture I gave him before…?" He smiled thoughtfully. "So many options!"

Mustang slammed his foot down on the floor. "I won't repeat myself again, Slicer! Come peacefully and we won't have to hurt you!"

Slicer shrugged. "Well, then. I guess I've tried everything else..."

Mustang had only figured out what he was hinting at before it was too late.

In a flash of movement, Slicer was lunging towards Ed, another knife in his hand. This time, Mustang realized, the blow wasn't meant to injure. It was meant to kill.

"No!" he shouted, hearing the gasps of Al, Winry, and Armstrong behind him as his hands fumbled to grab his gun from its holster, but they suddenly became too slow and sloppy.

It was almost a fact of certainty that Ed was going to be killed, when suddenly there was a loud, quivering shot that rang out through the room. Slicer stopped in his tracks. After a stunned moment, the murderer looked down to find a gaping, bloody hole in his chest.

He stood there for a long moment. "Oh." That was all he managed to get out before he collapsed in a sounding thump to the floor.

Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Mustang turned around...

And he saw Winry, panting as her blue eyes filled with tears, who held a smoking gun out in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and almost like an afterthought, she let the gun slip from her fingers and fall to the floor. She took a step back. "I thought he was going to kill Ed, and… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill him!"

"Winry." Al's hand found her shoulder and squeezed it in reassurance. "It's okay."

"I know, but Ed-" Winry's eyes suddenly snapped open and a hand flew to her mouth. "Ed!"

Everyone's heads snapped towards the said boy.

The first one to move was Al, and then Armstrong, who looked to be almost in tears for briefly forgetting about Ed, before Mustang was able to move. Al got to Ed quickly and immediately went to work at snapping his rope bonds, releasing Ed from his confinement.

Without the support that kept him upright able to help him any longer, Ed collapsed forward in his seat and Al barely caught him in time. "Ed! Ed, can you hear me?" he yelled.

Winry watched Ed and Al with fearful eyes. "Is he okay?"

"I-I don't know, he's not waking up… Ed! _Ed!"_

When Ed still didn't awaken, Al knew something was seriously wrong. He looked over Ed's battered body once more. It was clear that he'd suffered greatly during the time he'd been captured. Cut marks were lines down his arm and leg, and his cheek bore a nasty slice from a blade. Even Ed's wrist was swollen and bloody, evidence of all the time Ed had used rubbing against the rope as he tried to escape. And that wasn't all...

"Look at his chest- he's been stabbed," Mustang said in a low voice, inspecting the protruding knife from Ed's skin. "It's a good thing Slicer didn't take the knife out before now, or he'd have bled to death before we got here." He paused, the wheels in his mind turning. "The nearest doctor is over twenty minutes away. I don't know if we can get there before he… he..."

Tears began to fall down Winry's cheeks. "No! This is Ed. He can fight. He can't die… he wouldn't!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let Fullmetal die on us just yet," Mustang said gruffly. "If anyone was too stubborn to die, it'd be him."

"What are you planning to do, sir?" Al asked worriedly, looking down at the silent Ed in his arms. His already pale skin was rapidly fading into a sickish color of gray, and he'd stopped groaning long ago.

"I'm going to remove the knife," Mustang explained. "And then I'm going to heat up the knife so much that it'll be hot enough to close up the wound so he doesn't bleed to death."

Armstrong couldn't hold back his flinch. "Are you sure, sir? There's no other way?"

"Believe me, if there was, I'd be doing it." Mustang closed his eyes, already knowing himself the pain that followed sealing up an open wound. He wished he wouldn't have to make Ed suffer through that same agony, but there was no other choice. It was this, or death.

His eyes opened. "Alright. Let's begin."

Nobody needed to be told twice. Al quickly moved Ed to a more accessible position, Winry stood by to hold back Ed from thrashing, and Mustang didn't let any more time pass before his hands curled around the knife in Ed's chest.

And then he yanked it out.

Ed yelled out, his chin trembling and body shaking. Blood poured out from his shoulder and Mustang cursed loudly. He'd have to hurry up.

It took a few moments to heat up the blade with his alchemy, but once he was sure it was hot enough to cauterize the wound, he nodded to himself. "Alright, Edward," he said, getting close to the blonde's ear. "I'm not sure if you're conscious enough to hear this, but I'm going to say it anyway. This next part is going to hurt. A lot. But it will get better, I promise you. Just try to hold on until then." He bit his bottom lip, wondering if his words sounded too harsh. "I'm sorry," he added.

The blade was put against Ed's shoulder.

At first contact, Ed cried out, thrashing in Al and Winry's arms. The two did their best to contain the struggling boy, but Ed was stronger than he looked. Winry watched with a horrified expression as Ed couldn't hold back his cries, and even Armstrong turned his head away from the gruesome scene.

Mustang kept a straight face as he kept the blade against Ed's skin, but it was all he could do to keep his hands from trembling. But no, he reminded himself, it wasn't like he hadn't done this before.

Except… it was different this time. Ed was a kid, plain and simple as that. A kid.

A _kid._

After what seemed like an eternity of keeping the knife against Ed's wound and watching as the boy cried out and withered in Al's arms, it was done. The wound was closed - for now - but Mustang knew that he would still need stitches once they got him to the nearest hospital.

Releasing the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Mustang dropped the knife to the floor, wanting nothing more to do with it. "Somebody get his arm," he breathed out, nodding to the nearby table where Ed's metal arm lay. "And somebody, pick him up." He gestured to where dead Slicer was crumpled on the floor. "And Al, help me with Ed. We're getting him help _now_."

Al then made a somewhat panicked sound. "But Colonel, why isn't he waking up? He's not even groaning anymore. Something's wrong!"

"Al, we don't have time for this. We need to get him to the hospital!"

Winry looked over at Ed worriedly as she scooped up his metal arm from the table. "Colonel Mustang-"

"Do you want Ed to die? Let's go!"

At that moment, Ed let out a cough. All heads turned to him. The blonde's eyes flickered open, albeit slowly, and two golden orbs shone from underneath his eyelids. "Al...Alphonse?"

"I'm here, brother," Al said eagerly. "How are you feeling?"

"I've…" Ed winced, his body trembling in pain. "I've... had better days… anyways…" He coughed, still struggling to make sense of what was going on. "Sorry for… all of… this..."

Winry sucked in a breath. "I told you to stay out of trouble! I tell you, again and again, and-and _this_ is what happens! You never listen to me! It's like you hear everything I say but do exactly the opposite!"

"Yeah? Well, I…" Ed's breathing was becoming slower as he struggled to keep conscious for any longer. "I did… try… but-" He coughed again, but the sound was weaker. "I…"

"No, brother, stay awake!" Al said urgently, gently patting Ed's face. "Stay with us, Ed. Ed? Ed!"

Ed's eyes had closed; his breathing had slowed, and the blood was draining from his face.

"BROTHER!"

* * *

 ***coughs innocently* *kicks a pebble* *the pebble flies off and hits Ed in the face* *Ed gets knocked out* Oops.**

 **ANYWAY. Special thanks to reviewers: lonesome pine tree, katurdi, animalsarepeopletoo, II Kairi II, and little-anonymous-me! You guys are the ones that keep me updating.**


	6. Reunion

**Chapter Six: Reunion**

"He's resting now. Try not to wake him," the doctor said, eyeing Ed's large group of visitors where they stood in Ed's hospital room. He paused a moment, looking at the sleeping boy before he exited the room.

Al, Winry, Mustang, Armstrong, and Hawkeye were all there. It had been three days since Ed had been admitted. As soon as he'd been carried into the hospital, he'd been immediately rushed off into the emergency room with major blood loss and erratic heartbeats.

The last the group had seen of him, he'd been almost as pale as his bedsheets.

After three days of hovering between life and death, Ed was finally open to visitors that weren't just family. As the group looked closer at the sleeping boy, they could see that he looked much better than a few days before.

Still, the number of bandages that covered the blond was terrifying in itself. One was wrapped around his head, due to the hard blow he'd suffered from when he'd been knocked out. He'd been diagnosed with a mild concussion. There was a sling hooked around his arm which supported the stab wound, but not much else could be done. The actual injury was wrapped up and given twenty-four stitches. He was still weak from blood loss, the doctor explained, and it would be a few days before he was strong enough to stand.

So, all in all, it was a miracle he was even alive.

Winry was the first one to reach Ed's side, reaching out and grabbing his limp hand as soon as she could. She said nothing as she looked down at him in what looked to be a mixture of pain and sadness.

"I hope brother wakes up soon!" Al said hopefully as he shuffled towards Winry. But he was only saying aloud what everyone else was thinking.

No one knew when Ed was going to wake up. Not Al, not Winry, not Mustang- _no one._

And that was what made it so hard.

Riza, now looking uncomfortable at the silence that filled the room, cleared her throat. "Don't worry, Edward's strong. He'll be up and getting himself into even more trouble before we know it."

"Yeah." Al's tone was halfhearted. "Sure."

From beside the others, Mustang looked away. He couldn't help but feel like he was a big part of the whole incident- maybe the cause of Ed getting hurt in the first place. If only he'd stopped Ed from going out into town that day. If only he'd made _absolutely sure_ that Al was going to keep an eye on him. So many things could have been prevented if it weren't for his carelessness.

Guilt gnawed at his stomach, and this time, he could hardly shove it back down. Ed could have _died._

Suddenly, there was a cough. A weak, nearly-silent cough, but everyone's head snapped towards it.

 _Ed._

As Mustang turned around, Winry's grip tightened around Ed's hand. "Ed?" she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ed, are you awake? Ed!"

And Ed's eyes opened.

It was the most beautiful thing Winry had ever seen in her life.

"Ed!" she cried, and threw her arms around the injured boy in relief. Ed gasped from both pain and shock, but Winry barely heard it. "Ed, I was so scared you wouldn't wake up! I thought you were going to die! Oh, I never should have asked you to pick me up from the train station when there was a criminal around… now you're hurt and it's all my fault…"

"Wait, Winry," Ed said, his voice scratchy from days of not talking. Taking a moment before continuing, he slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position before he cracked a small smile. "Well, now I know I'm still dreaming."

When Winry looked at him in confusion, he smiled wider.

"Instead of hitting me with a wrench, you're apologizing."

"Ed- what?" Winry blinked. This certainly wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

Ed grinned sheepishly. "It's good to see you, Winry." After staring at her for another moment, he looked around as he took in who was there. His face melted into relief when he spotted Al, the giant suit of metal standing just a few feet away.

"Al! You're here!"

Al rushed over to Ed's beside, nodding vigorously. "Of course I am, brother! I'm so happy you're all right!"

"Sure, I am." Ed grinned, rubbing at his chest. "A little sore, but I'll be good as new in no time."

Al practically sagged in relief. "That's good to hear, brother. I wasn't sure you were going to make it!"

Ed frowned. "Wait, what happened?"

Al scooted closer. "What do you remember?"

"Well... I remember you all finding me." Ed grimaced, shuffling around in his bed. "Colonel Mustang removed the knife from my chest, but I couldn't really see what was going on... there was pain a-and then… well, that's where it gets fuzzy." He looked up at the others. "So what happened after that? I don't remember getting here."

Deciding to finally speak, Mustang stepped forward. "You were in bad shape when we brought you in, Fullmetal. After I sealed up your wound, we took you to the hospital. They said you were going into shock." He frowned at the painful memory. "You could have easily died."

"You lost a lot of blood, brother," Al said sorrowfully as he drummed his fingers together. "You even had to have a blood transfusion. You know, you're going to have to take it easy for the next few days…"

Ed made a face. "What? No!" he protested. "I'm not going to be stuck in here for the next week doing nothing!"

"Never fear, Edward Elric!" Armstrong proclaimed, stepping forward as he flexed his muscles and grinned widely. " _I_ shall keep you company until you get better! You needn't fear being alone!"

At this, Ed's scowl seemed to deepen even more as his temper flared, and Al had to step in before an argument ensued. "That's all right, Mr. Armstrong!" Al said meekly. "I don't sleep, so I'll be able to watch him until he's good to go..."

Armstrong's arms lowered, and the large man looked rather disappointed. "Ah. Very well, then. But my offer still stands!"

"All right, enough of this. Now that we've all had a chance to say something to Fullmetal, I have a question for him myself," Mustang announced, returning to his regular seriousness as he walked to the end of Ed's bed. Cocking an eyebrow, he leaned forward. "So, Fullmetal, what happened?"

Ed blinked. "You know what happened."

"No, I don't." Mustang's stare deepened. "I want you to tell me _exactly_ what happened, starting from where you left my office up until when we rescued you. It's for my report, so don't leave anything out."

Sighing, all Ed could do was shrug. "There's… not much to tell. I was picking up some apples for Winry, and Al had already gone up ahead. I was just leaving to catch up with him when someone grabbed me and pulled me into an alleyway…"

From then on, Ed told the group what had happened, from being knocked out to waking up and finding himself tied to a chair, his metal arm missing. He explained what Slicer had told him about his methods of taking off his victim's arms and putting them on himself as he tried to perform better alchemy. He'd been planning to remove Ed's as well. Ed quieted as he told them about Slicer's methods of torture against him, but chose not to go into too much detail as Winry's eyes filled with tears. Finally, he revealed his plan, which was to anger Slicer enough into letting him go. But it had drastically failed when he'd been stabbed instead.

"After that, I don't remember much," Ed admitted, drumming his fingers against the side of his bed. "I'm just glad you found me when you did. If Slicer had actually managed to cut off my other arm, I-I…" Brave as he was, Ed couldn't help but shutter. The thought of losing another limb brought back memories to that awful night- the night when Al had lost his body, when he himself had lost his arm and leg. All of that pain was starting to resurface.

The others saw Ed's expression, too, and Al quickly rushed to his aid. "Brother, it's alright to be scared." His arms fell to his sides. "I don't know how much you went through, or even what it felt like to be that scared, but... " He slammed his fists together. "If only I stayed with you, brother! I never should have left you alone! And because of that, now you're-"

"WHO YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULD DISGUISE HIMSELF AS A FLY AND NOBODY WOULD EVER KNOW HE WAS THERE EVEN IF HE SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS!?"

"Relax, brother! I was going to say 'hurt'!"

As the two brothers slowly entered a bickering match, Mustang watched with pained eyes before he had to turn away, clenching his fists at his sides. Unable to hold back his anger any longer, he punched the wall, barely feeling the sting that accompanied it.

He was a child, _dang it._

Why couldn't Slicer had taken Mustang instead?

Vaguely, he heard Ed and Al now arguing over Ed taking his painkillers. Ed, of course, refused to take any kind of medication, claiming that he didn't need any help with his pain which wasn't even that bad in the first place, but Al was just as stubborn and insisted that his brother take the pills. Winry and Armstrong's attention was drawn to them as they struggled to calm the two boys down, leaving Hawkeye as the only one to notice Mustang in the corner.

"Sir?" she asked quietly, walking over to where he stood. "What's going on?"

Mustang grimaced, embarrassed for getting so worked up over nothing. "It's nothing. Forget it."

"You look upset."

He didn't answer.

"Is this because of Edward?" Her face was expressionless as she folded her arms. 'He doesn't blame you, you know. Nobody does."

Tensing, Mustang looked away. She'd seen right through him- was he really that obvious?

Sighing, he decided to give in. "It _was_ my fault, Lieutenant. I only warned him _once_ about Slicer, even when I knew there was a chance that he'd be taken if he went off by himself. And now, because of my foolishness, he's the one paying the price. The price that I should be paying right now."

Hawkeye watched him with curious eyes. "I thought you said he was only a dog of the military. That it didn't matter whether he was a child or not."

"Of course it matters," Mustang snapped, now meeting the woman's eyes. "I see that now."

His gaze drifted back over to Ed, where the boy sat sulking as Al and Winry tried to coax him into taking his medicine. Ed would have nothing of it, crossing his arms in defiance as he looked away.

"It's either this or you drink some milk," Al threatened.

"No. I'm not taking either!"

"Edward, if you don't take your medicine, you're never going to get better!" Winry said angrily. "And if you don't drink your milk, you'll stay small forever!"

Ed nearly shot out of his bed, Al being the only one able to keep him down. "WHO YOU CALLING SO TINY HE COULDN'T EVEN BE SEEN IN A MAGNIFYING GLASS UNLESS HE STOOD ON HIS TOES?!"

"EDWARD!" Winry huffed. "TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!"

"NO!"

Now smiling, Hawkeye turned back to Mustang. "You see? He already looks a lot better to me. He'll recover very soon, with medicine or not." She raised an eyebrow. "And he doesn't blame you for this, you know. Nobody does. Even if you had ordered him not to go into town, he would have disobeyed you anyway."

This was true, Mustang realized as he nodded. Ed was the most stubborn boy he'd ever met, and even if he'd tied him up with his own two hands, the teen still would have found a way to escape.

"You could be right," Mustang said, rubbing his temples. "But still-"

"But what? Look at him, Colonel. Tell me what you see."

Surprised, Mustang did so.

And what he saw wasn't the angry, loathing boy as he'd expected. He was a smiling one, now laughing as he, Al, and Winry shared a joke. These injuries weren't going to slow him down - no, not in the slightest. He was already prepared to push forward.

"You might not be Edward Elric's favorite person in the world, but it seems like he's already accepted what's happened and has moved past it. Follow his lead, Colonel- you should too."

And as Mustang took another glance at Ed, he realized that what Hawkeye said was true. Ed was going to live, and he clearly didn't blame anybody for what had happened. It was time to accept that, and do exactly what Ed was doing- move on.

"That kid's going to be the death of me," Mustang muttered, turning back to Hawkeye.

The other woman laughed, crossing her arms as she nodded thoughtfully. "You know... he just might."

~FINISH~

* * *

 **Thanks so much for all your support, faves, follows, and reviews, guys! I REALLY enjoyed writing this and I hoped you liked reading it too!** **Also, special thanks to katurdi for helping me edit this chapter! You're a lifesaver. XD**

 **Shoutouts to reviewers last chapter: Lord Jaric, southernstar, katurdi, lonesome pine tree, EggfaceManUno, and animalsarepeopletoo! :D**

 **Drop a review on your way out if you liked it! Thanks so much, guys, and I hope you have a great week!**

 **Happy reading,**

 **~thepurplewriter333**


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